The world refugee map tallies almost perfectly with the world conflicts map because wars and armed conflicts in the South have generated millions of refugees seeking safe haven. From 1990 to 1995, 70 states were involved in 93 wars which killed about 55 lakh people. As a result, individuals, families, and, at times, whole communities have been forced to migrate because of generalized fear of violence or due to the destruction of livelihoods, identities, and living environments.

Which of the following reason is responsible for the backwardness of the countries of the South?

All of the above.

Globally, this disparity contributes to the gap between the Northern and Southern countries of the world. Within the South, disparities have also sharpened, as a few countries have managed to slow down population growth and raise incomes while others have failed to do so. For example, most of the world’s armed conflicts now take place in sub-Saharan Africa, which is also the poorest region of the world. At the turn of the 21st century, more people were being killed in wars in this region than in the rest of the world combined. Poverty in the South has also led to large-scale migration to seek a better life, especially better economic opportunities, in the North.